Bridging Continents:
African Voices on
Europe’s Deforestation-Free Path
Brussels/Antwerp, September 15–19, 2025
The soft light of September in Brussels set the scene for a journey that stretched beyond borders. Over five days, the Eurotrip – EUDR in Practice, organised by the Team Europe Initiative (TEI) on Deforestation-Free Value Chains, brought together delegates from 12 African countries — from coffee and cocoa authorities, ministries, and cooperatives – to witness firsthand how Europe is implementing the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
Setting the tone in Brussels
The week opened with warm words from Heloïse Dubois of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships, who gave an insightful overview of the history, institutions, and structure of the European Union.
Her colleague Simon Greimer followed with a reminder of the EUDR’s purpose — to halt deforestation, protect biodiversity, and promote sustainable supply chains. As participants listened, the stage was set for a week of shared learning and open conversation.
Understanding Europe’s roots
In the heart of Brussels, delegates began to exchange experiences — stories from coffee farms, cocoa cooperatives, and trade ministries around Africa. Over time, the room filled with trust and curiosity.
An evening visit to the European Parlamentarium offered a symbolic connection: by walking through the history of European integration, participants could better understand the vision of the European Union and it’s values
The visit to the European Parlamentarium helped us understand the very meaning behind the establishment of the EUDR. It convinced all of us that we share the same goal: to produce, consume, and preserve our natural resources.
I was really impressed with the port technology and how they handle logistics there.”
A visit to the port of Antwerp
The next morning, the group travelled north to Antwerp, where Europe’s second-largest port offered a new perspective on deforestation-free trade. . Standing before ships andsilos, , the delegates could see how commodities enter Europe — and how traceability and due diligence work in practice.
I realized its not rocket science. It is simply about collecting and organizing the required information.
Tracing the Path from Farm to Port
At Molenbergnatie, a logistics hub handling over 278 million tonnes of cargo annually, The delegates observed r products from their own countries, tracked and stored through established systems. Kajiru Francis, from the Tanzania Coffee Board commented “I realized its not rocket science. It is simply about collecting and organizing the required information.”
Tracing the Path from Farm to Port
I realized its not rocket science. It is simply about collecting and organizing the required information.
At Molenbergnatie, a logistics hub handling over 278 million tonnes of cargo annually, The delegates observed r products from their own countries, tracked and stored through established systems. Kajiru Francis, from the Tanzania Coffee Board commented “I realized its not rocket science. It is simply about collecting and organizing the required information.”
A visit to the port of Antwerp
The next morning, the group travelled north to Antwerp, where Europe’s second-largest port offered a new perspective on deforestation-free trade. . Standing before ships andsilos, , the delegates could see how commodities enter Europe — and how traceability and due diligence work in practice.
“I was really impressed with the port technology and how they handle logistics there.” (Jensen Natai, Tanzania Coffee Association, Tanzania)
Tracing the Path from Farm to Port
At Molenbergnatie, a logistics hub handling over 278 million tonnes of cargo annually, The delegates observed r products from their own countries, tracked and stored through established systems. Kajiru Francis, from the Tanzania Coffee Board commented “I realized its not rocket science. It is simply about collecting and organizing the required information.”
Seeing cocoa and coffee from their home countries among the stocksillustrated the direct link between African producers and the European market: “Ghana was proud to see its stocks in the warehouse and said they can do more. This was truly inspiring."
